Immediate (?) dead ball

[WestMichBlue]

When two fielders are in the area of a play, interference call be called only when the runner interferres on the fielder you judge to be able to make the play. But how long do you wait to make that judgment?

Situation: R1 on 1B, high fly ball on the right side of the infield. F1, F3, F4 can potentially make the catch; even F9 if the ball drifts further out.

R1, off the base, takes a couple steps back to 1B and collides with F3 who has taken a couple steps towards the ball. Normally you would kill the ball at the time of contact. But in this case the ball is still high in the air and you don't know who is going to catch it. How long will you wait?

Call it immediately - and watch F4 make the catch with ease. Now you've taken speedy Sally off the bases and placed big Bertha at 1B and the O Coach is very unhappy with you.

Wait and watch the ball drift towards 1B and drop to the ground because F4 doesn't get there, and F3 is slowed because of the collision. Now do you have interference? O Coach is on you for obstruction because F4 picked up the ball and forced R1 at 2B?

WMB